PORTLAND – Try as they might, the Maine Red Claws just couldn’t find a way to get over the hump.
The Red Claws battled their way back from two double-digit deficits Sunday, only to be rebuffed as the Reno Bighorns escaped the Portland Expo with a 105-102 victory in a NBA D-League game played before 3,045.
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“We fought and I’m proud of the way the guys fought to keep climbing back in it or to stay close,” said Red Claws Coach Dave Leitao. “We got within two, they’d stretch it back out to 10. It was a bit of a tough hill to climb.”
The Red Claws dug themselves into a hole early and trailed by 20 points in the second quarter, then rallied to tie the game in the third.
But the comeback was spoiled when Reno regained a 10-point lead before the end of the third.
“The game is full of stretches,” said Jerome Randle, who scored 23 for the Claws. “Everybody has their moments when they play good as a team and they have their moments when they are not playing so well.
“They capitalized when we weren’t playing well and we did the same to them. They were just able to come through in the clutch.”
The Red Claws, who are 9-17 after seeing a modest two-game winning streak end, made a game of it again in the final quarter. Randle keyed a 13-3 run with 10 points as Maine cut the deficit to 94-92.
The Red Claws had a chance to tie it in the closing seconds. Morris Almond, who paced Maine in scoring for a fourth straight game with 26 points, started an inbounds play with 5.6 seconds remaining and fed Lawrence Hill, who drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat Idaho on Friday. This time, his 3-point attempt rimmed out.
“These are always the tough ones,” said Bobby Simmons, who had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Bighorns.
“Winning a game big the night before (a 127-88 victory over Springfield) and coming back in a back-to-back with the same intensity. Fatigue may have set in, but mentally we have to be there and be prepared to play and execute on offense and defense.”
Andre Emmett was a difference maker for the Bighorns in the first half. The 6-foot-5 forward scored 15 points in the opening quarter, helping Reno to a 33-22 lead.
The Bighorns (13-12) continued to enjoy offensive success in the second quarter and Emmett, who led Reno with 31 points, again was the catalyst. He added seven points to his total as Reno outscored the Red Claws 12-5 to take a 45-27 lead.
A run by the Red Claws late in the second quarter kept them within striking distance heading into halftime.
Courtney Pigram punctuated a 14-2 surge with seven straight points that allowed the home side to close the deficit to 53-45 with 1:16 left in the half.
Reno carried a 58-47 lead into the second half.
The Red Claws closed the gap quickly in the third quarter using a 14-4 run in the first 5½ minutes to move to within 62-61. Moments later, Almond scored to tie the game at 66.
But Blake Ahearn single-handedly put the Red Claws back on their heels. The veteran guard scored 11 straight points, including three consecutive 3-pointers, during a 13-5 run that gave the visitors an 85-75 lead after three.
NOTES: The Red Claws activated Paul Harris prior to the game. The 6-foot-5 forward, who missed six games because of an injury, scored two points in 6:59 on the floor.
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